Steve, Claire, and Sissy all turned in the direction she was pointing in. Lyle smiled uncomfortably and waved to them.
“Really subtle, people,” Sissy exclaimed.
“Sweetheart,” Steve directed to Sophie, “he’s not weird. He’s just having lunch.”
“No, Steve, she’s right. He is weird,” Sissy added.
“Why?” Claire asked.
“I told you why. He’s always watching us. See, even now.” She gestured toward the corner table that he alone occupied.
All of the occupants at their table turned toward him again, causing Lyle to lower his eyes.
“We really need to stop looking his way,” Claire suggested.
“Yep,” Steve replied.
“There’s something I want to talk to both of you about,” Claire said to Steve and Sissy. “I want to go see Dustin, as soon as possible. How can we make that happen?” The last part was directed toward Sissy. They would have to defer to her expertise in that area, as all of it was completely new to them. They didn’t even know where the prison was that their son was currently residing in.
“Absolutely,” Sissy responded. “Visiting day is Sunday. We can go then.”
“Um, no. I don’t think you understand,” Claire replied. “Just us. Just me and Steve. We need to see him alone. You understand, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
Sissy did understand, but still felt left out, and a bit hurt. She had raised him, after all. She didn’t want to ask, but was a bit afraid that Steve and Claire might blame her for how he turned out. At least partly, anyway.
Claire noticed that Sissy looked a bit uncomfortable, but she couldn't really help that. It was important that she and Steve go see Dustin alone. He was their son, not Sissy’s, regardless of the fact that she raised him for many years. They needed to speak with him. They needed to take the time to explain to him what happened, though they really didn't know what exactly had happened themselves.
“So do you think we should somehow warn Dustin before we go that we are coming?” Claire asked the two of them. "I don't want to freak him out by showing up out of the blue. At this point he has no idea we are even alive."
“That's why I think it might be a good idea for me to go with you,” Sissy added. "He knows me, and might feel better about the whole situation if I have a chance to talk to him for a moment before you guys walk in. Know what I mean?”
“Yeah, we know what you mean," Steve told her. "Claire, she kind of has a point. I think Sissy should come with us. Can we at least think about that?"
“Of course,” Claire responded.
She smiled uncomfortably at Sissy. Claire didn't want to hurt her sister's feelings, but she also didn't want her sister interfering with their conversation with their son. She really did have to think about the whole thing. Would it be a good idea to have Sissy there to be a buffer?
“Hello folks.” A handsome man, around 40, walked up to their table, along with the blonde girl that had been working at the front desk when they arrived. “I'm the owner here at the Wildflower Inn and I wanted to check and see how you all were doing.”
“Oh, we are good, thank you,” Steve responded.
Then the man directed the conversation directly to Steve and Claire only. “I hope this doesn't come across as rude, but I heard the rumor that you guys were back and I had to come see for myself. I needed to see if it was really you.”
“Do we know you?" Steve was a bit miffed at how brazen the man was. They had just returned and he walked up to their table like he was their best friend.
“Well, not really. I’m sure you don’t remember me. We met the weekend you stayed at the Miranda Inn. I was a valet there and we spoke several times over that weekend. I was just so shocked when you disappeared."
Claire looked at the man for several seconds, as realization dawned on her. “Oh my god,” Claire exclaimed. “You’re Tim? The young valet?”
“You do remember me,” Tim smiled.
“Well of course. It was only a few days…oh, I mean it doesn’t seem like it was that long ago,” Claire stuttered.
Tim didn’t seem to notice her failing words.
“I’m really glad you both are all right. I always wondered what happened to you. I thought you probably got caught up in the storm and were washed away to sea. I’m glad to see that’s not the case.”
“No, we are fine,” Steve chimed in.
The group looked around at each other for a moment in uncomfortable silence. Steve and Claire didn't want to expand on what happened and Tim didn't want to pry into their personal business.
“Oh, I want you all to meet my daughter, Mary. She works here helping out.”
“Hi Mary,” Claire greeted her. “We met briefly at the front counter when we came in to see our daughter, Hope.”
“That wasn’t me. That was my sister, Piper. We kind of look alike.”
“Kind of? You two could be twins,” Claire replied.
“Claire, they are twins,” Sissy laughed. “I can’t even tell them apart. I never know which is which.”
Claire turned red. “Oh, sorry. I can be an idiot sometimes.”
“No, of course not. You only met Piper briefly. How would you know?” Tim tried to make her feel better.
“Tim, we would like to talk to you some more about that weekend, and the storm, and our disappearance. We have questions about the Miranda Inn, and the owner, and such. But not right now,” Steve told him. “Can we come by later to talk? Maybe in a couple of days?”
“Yes, of course. I’m here every day. Come on by anytime.”
“We will. Thanks,” Steve replied.
“Okay Mary, let’s go and leave these nice people alone to finish their lunches. It was great seeing you all.”
Tim and Mary walked away.
Chapter 19
While Sissy showed her identification, and signed in to visit her nephew in jail, she looked over at Steve and Claire, who were sitting in chairs in the front waiting room. Claire looked visibly upset that they had to wait while Sissy told Dustin about their return from the dead. It would be a shock to him, no doubt. Steve got up and paced the room, his usual way of dealing with stress and anxiety. Claire just sat there staring at her sister.
As Sissy and Dustin sat down in the visiting room, Dustin barely looked her.
“Why are you here? You rarely come to visit anymore.”
“That’s because you told me not to,” Sissy explained.
“Since I told you not to, then I’ll ask again. Why are you here?”
Dustin could barely contain his disdain for his Aunt. He felt that she was the reason he was in prison in the first place. He knew that she was the one that turned him in for robbing the old couple down the street from their house. In his mind, the fact that the man got hurt, was in self defense. If the man had just left him alone, he would have gotten the money and electronics he went there for, and left. But no, the old man had to attack Dustin in the dark. Dustin had no choice but to fight back. The man survived, so what was the big deal?
Sissy did her best to ignore his attitude. She knew he blamed her. Sissy found the stolen items in Dustin’s room and she felt it was her duty to herself, and to Hope, and the population in general, to make sure he went to jail. She had already been afraid of him, as he was prone to violent outbursts, and she no longer wanted him in her life. He had been having a lot of trouble keeping a job, so was still living with her at the time of the final crime that landed him where he was. The house was his and Hope’s after all. They inherited it after the state declared Steve and Claire dead.
“I’m here because I need to tell you something,” Sissy began. “I really don’t know how to say this gently, so I’m going to just say it.”
“Say what?” Dustin had no patience for her. “What’s so damned important that you couldn’t just call me? The phones still work here, as far as I know. Not that anyone ever calls me.”
“Your parents are still aliv
e.” Sissy sat back in her chair. “There, I said it.” She waited for a reaction.
It took several seconds for what she said to register. Then she could see his face change. It went from hatred, to confusion, to disbelief as his eyes never left hers.
“Yeah, I don’t believe you.” He sat back and crossed his arms.
“Why would I come all the way here just to lie to you? It’s true. They are alive and are sitting out front in the waiting room. They want to see you,” Sissy told him.
“Wait. You’re serious? They’re here? Where the hell have they been for the last 20 years? On vacation?”
“I’m going to let them explain that part to you. I just wanted you to be prepared to see them.”
“You know what? This is bullshit. Why would I want to see parents that skipped out on us when we were little kids and let us think they were dead all this time? They can go to hell.”
Dustin got up to leave. Sissy stood up also and reached over and grabbed his forearm to stop him.
“No contact allowed.” They both turned toward the guard standing nearby.
“Oh, sorry,” Sissy replied and let go of Dustin’s arm.
“Please, Dustin, just see them and talk to them. I think you will feel better about the whole situation after you talk to them. I want to let them explain, but believe me, you will be okay about it all after they tell you what happened.”
Dustin sat back down, with Sissy doing the same thing.
“I don’t know how they can possibly explain this in a way that will make me all gooey about things. But fine, send them in.” Sarcasm dripped from his voice.
Sissy got up and told the guard that Dustin’s parents were coming in, so that they would let him stay in the visitor’s room for a few minutes after she left.
Five minutes later, Steve and Claire walked in. Dustin recognized them immediately. They looked exactly the same as the last time he saw them, when he was only 8 years old.
The two of them looked around the room, perusing each inmate’s face, trying to pick out their son. When they noticed him sitting alone, staring at them, they knew they had found their oldest child.
“Oh my god,” was all Steve could say as they stood there looking at him.
Their sweet, cute little boy was all grown up. He was no longer the skinny little kid they remembered, but a 28 year old, grown man. He had quite a few tattoos, including one on the side of his neck. He looked like a gang member and Claire was suddenly afraid of her own son.
The two of them walked tentatively over. Without thinking, Claire burst into tears, and grabbed her son in a tight hug. He let her, though he didn’t hug back.
“No contact allowed.” Claire heard the guard, but did not listen. “Ma’am, you need to let go. Right now.”
The guard walked toward them.
“Okay, okay.” Claire let go. “I’m sorry. I just haven’t seen my son in a really long time.”
She looked over at Dustin and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.
The guard looked at her and Steve, then at Dustin. The three of them looked to be the same age. He scrunched up his eyebrows at them, but made no comment about their relationship with the inmate.
“You all need to sit down,” the guard ordered.
They obeyed.
“Dustin, how are you?” Steve asked him.
Dustin glared at his father. “You want to know how I am? Are you serious right now? You two disappear on us for two decades, without a phone call, a letter, nothing. And you want to know how I am?” They could hear the obvious contempt in his voice.
“Sweetheart, you don’t understand. We didn’t just leave you. It wasn’t our fault.” Claire then looked over at her husband. “How in the world are we going to explain this?” she asked him.
“I guess the same way we explained it to Sissy and Hope. They both believe us. And understand.”
“Well, whatever it is, they are idiots. There is absolutely nothing that you can say that would make me forgive you for this.”
“Don’t call your sister and aunt idiots.” Claire was starting to get irritated with her son’s attitude. “You will understand also, once we get a chance to explain.”
Dustin had given up hope a long time ago, and resigned himself to never seeing his parents again. At least when he thought they were dead, he couldn’t really blame them. That was something that just happened to them. But now that he knew they left him, on purpose, that was unforgivable.
“Please Dustin, hear us out. If you hate us once we explain everything, then I guess we can’t do anything about that. But please, let us try.” Steve found himself pleading with his son.
Dustin sat back in his chair, arms folded, without saying anything.
Claire spent the next few minutes explaining what happened the weekend they left for the Miranda Inn. Dustin never said a word, until she was done.
“Bullshit,” Dustin replied. “You seriously expect me to believe that ridiculous story?”
“Every word is true,” his father replied. “How do you explain that we don’t look a day older than when we left 20 years ago? That wouldn’t be possible if we just ran off and left you.”
“I don’t know. I was a little kid. Maybe you do look older, I can’t remember. Truth is, I barely remember the two of you. You abandoned me and I don’t really care to remember you.” Dustin was clearly hurt by what he thought they did to him on purpose.
“Well maybe this will remind you.” Claire reached into her purse and pulled out a photograph and handed it to her son. “This is the photo that Sissy took of the four of us the day we left for the weekend. Do you remember taking that? Look how happy we all were.”
Dustin took the photo and looked at it for a long time. Steve and Claire sat quietly. They watched as a tear collected in the corner of his eye.
“Yeah, I remember this.” He looked closely at his parents, then back at the photo. “You really do look the same as that day. How is that possible?”
“We told you how that’s possible,” Steve replied. “Believe me, we have no idea how it happened, or why, but everything we told you is the truth. I don’t know what else to say to convince you.”
“Dustin,” Claire jumped in, “we would never have left you on purpose. We loved you so much. We still love you. I hope you at least believe that.” Claire pulled a tissue from her purse and dabbed at her moist eyes.
“I guess none of it matters now,” Dustin replied. “You were gone and we had to grow up without you. I know Hope turned out okay, but I obviously didn’t. Nothing I can do about that now.”
“We are going to be here when you get out, and we will help you in any way we can when you do. Sissy said you are getting out soon,” Steve told him.
“Yeah, in a few weeks.” Dustin smiled for the first time since they had arrived for their visit.
“Visiting hours are over.” There was an announcement over the intercom in the room. All three of them looked up at the speaker in the ceiling in response.
“We’ll be back next week to see you again,” Claire told her son, as she stood up and gave him a hug.
“No contact allowed with the prisoners, ma’am,” the young guard warned her again.
“Yes, I know. But I haven’t seen my son in 20 years. I’m going to hug him if I want to,” she argued, without releasing him.
Though the woman claiming to be his mother looked almost the same age as the inmate, the guard didn’t say another word to her, as he watched them carefully. Then Steve gave his son a quick hug and the two of them walked out, waving as they did.
Not that Dustin completely believed their crazy story, but by the time his parents left the prison, he seemed more accepting of them. He didn’t know how any of it was possible, but he thought that maybe some of their story was true. He didn’t remember his parents as liars, but if they did indeed run off, leaving their two young children to think they were dead, then he knew they were capable of anything. He spent the next few days thin
king about their visit. He found himself anticipating their next one. For the first time in many years, he had something to look forward to.
It was dark outside by the time they pulled into the driveway of their home. Neither Steve nor Claire noticed the man watching them from the safety of the dark night. He took no action though. There was plenty of time for that.
Chapter 20
Though they had only been home a few days, the Jamisons were the talk of the island. No matter where they went, or what they did, Steve and Claire were stopped everywhere and asked where they had been. It was all getting on Steve's nerves. He couldn't believe the gall of people. He was usually an easy-going person, but the whole experience was wearing on his nerves. It got to the point where they didn't want to go anywhere. It was just easier staying home and not having to deal with it all. But they soon realized that was unrealistic. They had lives to lead and couldn't hide out in their house forever.
One of the things they did do without fail, was visit Dustin every week at the jail, though it wasn't easy. They had to catch the ferry over to the mainland and rent a car, and still had to drive a couple of hours to get there. It wasn't like he was in a cell at the sheriff’s office there on the island. None of that mattered to his parents. They went every single week, and would do so until he was released. They couldn't be there while he was growing up, but they would be there for him now.
At the Wildflower Inn, the teenagers that lived there also spoke of nothing but the Jamisons and the mystery surrounding the disappearance and return. Four teenage girls currently lived at the Inn. Tim and Roxanne Carmichael's daughters, Piper and Mary, as well as two girls put there by the state. They frequently housed girls that had been into some trouble, but nothing very serious. They did not want to put their daughters at risk. The girls that currently lived there were Frankie and Lola. Frankie had been there with them for a while, and Lola only a short time. All four girls helped out working at the Inn and in the café.
“What do you think really happened to them?” Mary asked the other three girls, as they ate lunch together at the cafe one slow afternoon.
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